The plenary session of the Congress of Deputies has validated this Tuesday the Royal Decree Law with the new government measures to combat inflation caused by the war in Ukraine, including the elimination or reduction of VAT on basic foods. Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency, has been the one who has defended this norm, approved with 175 votes in favor, 7 against and 164 abstentions, including those of the PP, Vox and Ciudadanos.
Likewise, it has been agreed almost unanimously to suit as a bill by the urgent procedure. Specifically, the decree incorporates measures such as the abolition of VAT for basic food and the reduction of VAT from 10% to 5% for oils and pasta, in addition to a check of 200 euros for households with annual income of up to 27,000 euros. and the free commuter and medium-distance trains in 2023, among others.
“Protect families and businesses while the war lasts”
Félix Bolaños has indicated during the defense of the decree law that the context “is complex” and “there are uncertainties to be cleared up”, but he wanted to convey the idea that the Executive will do “whatever is necessary to protect families and companies while it lasts war”. In his opinion, it is difficult to say no to this group that they are going to protect our citizens, unless they try to harm the Government, while he has made it clear that they are going to avoid the politics of fear and work to have a country fairer.
The deputy of United We Can Pilar Garrido has insisted that this Royal Decree includes measures “of dignity” because “they protect people’s lives”, in addition to “trying to guarantee basic goods”, and probably be defended “by any government of any color and any representative who respects his people”.
party abstentions
The PP agrees with the VAT reduction on food because, according to what they say, it was one of the things that put pressure on to curb inflation, but indicates that they have not voted in favor because they hoped that this reduction would also include meat, fish and you preserve them. In fact, his spokesman Jaime Eduardo de Olano has assured that his group would have voted in favor of the decree if it were processed as a bill and included that or other measures proposed by the popular, such as the extension of the fuel bonus to the self-employed
Ciudadanos had already announced the abstention of his group, while Vox had not confirmed the direction of his vote, although his spokesman Iván Espinosa de los Monteros has insisted that this Executive “only succeeds when it rectifies” and copies the proposals of his group.
Formations with favorable votes
PNV, PDeCAT, Más País and Compromís had already announced their vote in favour, although Joan Baldoví, from Compromís, had criticized the part of the decree that “relaxes environmental conditions for the implementation of renewables” and regretted that 250,000 were left out. farms because they do not receive aid from the CAP.
For her part, Idoia Sagastizabal, from the PNV, had raised some doubts about the elimination or reduction of VAT on certain foods, a measure that “is not focused on the most vulnerable”, “is not studied to reduce inequality” and “benefits to people with high incomes.
EH Bildu and ERC had not previously announced the meaning of their vote, although Oskar Matute has referred to the “shadows” that this decree includes, such as a reduction in VAT that “benefits the rich” and “widens the inequality gap “, for which he asked” that they limit the price of food “, or the relaxation that is made to give the green light to energy projects under the umbrella of renewables.
